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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25245595">The Day That We Watch The Death of The Sun</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRealPenguin/pseuds/TheRealPenguin'>TheRealPenguin</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Wasteland Baby - Hozier (Album)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>2nd Person, Apocalypse, Based on Songs, Death, End of the World, Falling In Love, kinda sad, no beta we die like men, written in second person</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 04:47:12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,537</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25245595</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRealPenguin/pseuds/TheRealPenguin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>You have under a year before the sun explodes and everything on earth will die.</p><p>At least you don’t have to be alone.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Day That We Watch The Death of The Sun</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>September 26, 2034</p><p>You stare out at the desolate land before you. It used to be a forest, lush and green. Now it was brown and barren. </p><p>It had been almost 6 months since it had last rained. </p><p>No wonder everything was dead. </p><p>You turn and face your friend. You met them somewhere, not long after it happened. Both of your families had died, and neither of you had wanted to be alone. </p><p>Funny how fate works like that. </p><p>They remind you that you need to keep walking. You take one last look at the wasteland before you. Then you turn and follow them. </p><p> </p><p>October 1st, 2034 </p><p>You have been walking for about 6 days now. Your clothes and body are drenched with sweat from the heat. </p><p>You both agreed to head to the nearest city to try and find food. If your maps are correct, you have about 25 miles to go. Normally, it wouldn’t take this long, but you have to carry all your supplies. The backpack is getting worryingly light, a sign that you're running out of food. </p><p>The sun is setting. You lead them off the highway and towards an abandoned hotel. </p><p>The two of you have finished setting up sleeping bags inside the hotel. Wind is whipping around outside. </p><p>You sit next to each other. In your lap is a small and dirty calendar from Before. You have already crossed off today. You flip to the next page, counting the days as you go. You stop once you hit May. May 6th is circled in a red pen. </p><p>Before all this had happened, scientists had predicted the sun would start having minor solar flares, and the earth’s temperature would start heating up quicker.<br/>
It was suggested that people go underground and live in bunkers, but of course, there wasn’t enough. This caused people to fight, and most died. Those who didn’t died later of dehydration. That was back in 2032. </p><p>May 6, 2035, the sun would go supernova, wiping out the earth and everything on it. </p><p>You were lucky enough to survive. There isn’t much of a point, since you’re going to die anyway. </p><p>You put the calendar back into your bag. Next to you, they grab your hand and rest their head on your shoulder. </p><p>At least you don’t have to be alone. </p><p> </p><p>October 26, 2034 </p><p>You made it to the city.</p><p>It’s empty, of course. The only sound is the dry wind that blows between the buildings. You can feel the hot asphalt through the soles of your boots.</p><p> They point out what looks like a grocery store, and you both begin to stumble towards it. </p><p>Your rations ran out 3 days ago. Your water ran out 2 days ago. </p><p>After stocking up on plenty of bottled water and dry goods, they lead the way to the back of the store, avoiding the refrigerated area where the stench of rotting food was almost overwhelming. </p><p>They cook dinner while you take inventory of the supplies. You’ll need to find more sunblock and toothpaste soon.</p><p>The next day, you both leave the store. You look out at the city’s ruins. You hear sniffing next to you. You turn to see them crying, not bothering to wipe away the tears. You take their hand, and they look at you. All you can offer is a small smile. </p><p>The breeze ruffles their thinning hair, and the rising sun extenuates their sunburned and tear stained face. </p><p>You give their hand a slight squeeze. It's all you can offer. </p><p>You keep moving forward. </p><p> </p><p>January 4, 2035</p><p>After wandering aimlessly for a few months, they decided it might be nice to head to the coast. It’s over 3,000 miles away, but you think you can make it if you keep up a good pace. </p><p>While walking through a dead forest, they stop and appear to be listening for something. You stop as well. </p><p>A dog appears between the dead brush. It looks starved, and it’s fur is matted.<br/>
You look at each other. It’s decided. </p><p>You let them name the dog. They decide on Arduinna. Apparently, it was the name of a Roman forest god. </p><p>You had no clue they knew about Gods. It’s a good reminder of how little you actually know about the person you’ve been traveling with for almost a year. </p><p> </p><p>January 31, 2035</p><p>You’ve come across what seems to be an old amusement park. Against your better judgment, and because they were practically begging to check it out, you go inside. </p><p>The air is stiff and heavy as you walk through the abandoned park, the tall metal rides looming around you. </p><p>Arduinna has taken to leading the way, sniffing out anything that seems vaguely interesting. She’s not as thin as she was when you found her, but you can still see her ribs. </p><p>The same way you could feel they’re ribs last night while you lie together, holding each other for comfort, despite the heat. </p><p>You look over and see their eyes light up as you enter the arcade section, prizes still on display. </p><p>You remember coming to a place like this with your family, spending all your money on ripoff games, and miraculously winning a plethora of cheap stuffed animals. You would all compete to get the most prizes. Your  dad would always win, and you and your little brother would fight over who would get what prize. </p><p>You smile at the memory. </p><p>Arduinna barks excitedly when she sees them run over to a booth, immediately hopping the counter. They stick their head out and call you over. You smile fondly and follow them. </p><p>They spend the next five minutes setting up plastic milk bottles and collecting worn baseballs for the two of you to throw. </p><p>You’ve never had a good aim, but today luck seems to be on your side as you knock over 3 bottles. They cheer, and take their turn, knocking over 4. </p><p>You cheer for them, smiling at their happy expression. </p><p>After playing several other games and taking a few rightfully earned stuffed prizes, you lead the way to the indoor arcade. It would be a bit cramped, but it would make good shelter for the night. </p><p>As you walk there, they throw the baseball from the first game to Arduinna, promptly starting a game of fetch. You watch her run back to them with the ball, and you begin to remember what’s coming. You recall something they said to you not long ago, late at night while neither of you could sleep. </p><p>‘We should try to enjoy what time we have left. My mom had always told me to make the most of life while I could. I never listened to anything she said while she was alive, so maybe now I could at least try to follow her advice.’ </p><p> </p><p>February 17, 2035</p><p>You walk with them through a state park, hand in hand. The trails are still clear, save for a few fallen trees and branches. </p><p>Arduinna is happily trotting ahead of you. You recall seeing photos of the park, always pestering your parents to go. It had been too far of a drive, and unfortunately, they never got to see it. </p><p>From the photos, it used to be a beautiful lush forest. It was known for the seemingly endless fields of wildflowers at the end of the walking trails. </p><p>Even after a year, it’s hard to believe how much things have changed. The trees around you are barren, and the underbrush is nothing but dead bushes that leave scrapes on your legs.</p><p> You look up, hoping to see a green canopy of leaves, but there is only cloudy sky and empty tree tops. </p><p>‘I think she found it,’ they say. You look forward and see that Arduinna has stopped and is looking expectantly back at you. </p><p>You hold your breath, hoping for something that you know couldn’t happen. </p><p>With barely any rain, no flower would be able to bloom. Neither of you have seen a flower in a year. </p><p>The field that was once full of wildflowers is now nothing but dead grass. </p><p>‘I’m sorry,’ they say. </p><p>‘It’s okay,’ you say back. You should have expected this. You can tell they’re looking at you, but you can’t bring yourself to look at them. You feel like you should be crying, but no tears come out. Arduinna whines next to you. </p><p>‘Come on,’ they say. ‘We should head back’.<br/>
‘We should,’ you say, but stay still. </p><p>They pull you into a hug. It’s hot and sweaty, and they smell. Or maybe that’s you. It’s hard to tell. </p><p>You hug them back. After a while, one of you let’s go, and you turn, and walk back. </p><p> </p><p>March 23, 2035 </p><p>You wake up to the sun in your eyes. For a second, your back home in your bed, waking up to the sun on your face and birds singing out your window. </p><p>Then you remember where you are. You’re on top of your sleeping bag, they’re arms wrapped around your chest. You smile. Who needs birds and a comfy bed when you have them. Arduinna is sleeping at your feet. </p><p>The heat doesn’t bother either of you as much as it did before. You suppose you’re glad, since this means you can hold each other without getting too uncomfortable. </p><p>You close your eyes again, feeling content. You feel them shift behind you, kissing the top of your head as they wake up. ‘Damn sun,’ they say, stretching their arms.<br/>
‘I’m gonna get us some food,’ you tell them, turning and kissing them. </p><p>‘I think there’s some left in my bag,’ they say, sitting up to pet Arduinna. </p><p>You rummage through their bag, pulling out two granola bars and some canned dog food they found on the last grocery store raid. </p><p>You feed Arduinna and toss them a bar. You then sit back down and pull out your map. So far, you’ve walked about 2,500 miles, so you should be able to make it to the coast in time. </p><p>As you eat, you review the route you plan to take with them for the hundredth time. They don’t seem to mind. </p><p>After breakfast, you each spread toothpaste on your fingers and run it over your teeth, spitting it out in the ground when you're done. You then make sure to drink the rationed amount of water. </p><p>You run a hand through your continually thinning hair in an attempt to clean it, roll up your sleeping bag, pack your things, and you continue on your long walk, Arduinna trotting happily ahead of you. </p><p>You smile. Things are good. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>April 14, 2035 </p><p>You’re sitting at a bus stop. Your feet ache from the blisters and your knee stings from where you scrapped it. They are currently sitting in front of you, wiping the wound with an antibacterial wipe. Even if the wound is small, you can’t risk it getting infected. </p><p>But that’s the last thing on your mind right now. </p><p>You stare off into the empty landscape in front of you. The setting sun almost appears red. Despite the thick, dry air, you feel cold. </p><p>Less than a month is left. </p><p>There’s so much you haven’t done, so much you wanted to do. You think about your family. You never got to say goodbye. You think about the future you wanted. College, friends, road trips, long nights, concerts, falling in love, maybe even getting a house and settling down, maybe starting a family. You long for the future you’ll never have. </p><p>You look down at them. They’ve moved onto bandaging the scrape. </p><p>At least you did one thing on your list. </p><p>‘Are you afraid?’ You ask. </p><p>They finish with the bandage. ‘Yeah, I am.’ They say. They stand up and sit on the bench next to you. </p><p>‘I wish we had more time,’ you say. Even Before, you had found time moved too quickly, the good things ending too soon. ‘I don’t want to be forgotten,’</p><p>‘But darling, I’ll remember you,’</p><p>You breath hitches. You never expected to have to face the inevitability of your own death so soon. ‘I wish we could last forever,’ you say. </p><p>The stars have begun to come out. There aren’t many, but they’re there. </p><p>‘Forever, huh? Sounds boring,’ they say. ‘Besides, nothing lasts forever.’ You know this already. You just wish it wasn’t true. </p><p>‘The least we could do,’ they continue, ‘is try our best to make the most of it while we can. While we still have time,’</p><p> </p><p>So that’s what you do. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>May 6, 2035</p><p>You arrived early in the morning. The sun hadn’t risen yet, and the water of the ocean was still cool. </p><p>The two of you set down your backpacks on the sand, while Arduinna barked excitedly. This was probably her first time on a beach. </p><p>You run down towards the water, splashing as the waves hit your legs. They run down beside you, laughing as Arduinna barks at the waves. </p><p>It’s been so long since you’ve seen the ocean, it’s almost strange to look at. You look over at them, smiling. They wade further in the water, soaking their shorts as small waves hit them. </p><p>You laugh, following them in. You promptly splash them with water, effectively soaking their clothes. They yell, splashing you back. </p><p>You continue like this for a while, eventually chasing each other up and down the shore line though the shallow water. Arduinna follows close behind, enjoying the cool water on her thin fur. </p><p>Once the sun starts to rise, you stop and collect your things. All three of you are soaked, but none of you mind. </p><p>You leave the shore and make your way to a semi-shady cliff overlooking the ocean. The rising sun has just begun to reflect on the water. </p><p>You drop your bags and sit down next to each other. Arduinna lays down, resting her head on your lap. </p><p>You take out the calendar, crossing off the final day. You set it down next to you. </p><p>Your stomach is empty. Neither of you have eaten in a week. Your mouth is dry. Clean water ran out 3 days ago. Your limbs are sore and tired from walking. Your hair is thin. Your body’s are thin and your bones are protruding. Your faces are gaunt and spotted from sunburn. Your teeth are loose, most are missing. </p><p>You couldn’t be happier.</p><p> </p><p>They rest their head on your shoulder. You pet Arduinna’s thin fur. </p><p>‘Do you have any regrets?’ They ask you. </p><p>You think. You're alive. You’re with someone you love. You think back to the wasteland you crossed together to get here. You think about the long nights you spent together. You think about the times you would wander together down the empty highway, belting old songs at the top of your lungs, not another soul around for miles to hear. </p><p>‘No,’ you tell them. ‘Not a single one’. </p><p>The sun continues to rise, feeling hotter than ever. </p><p>‘Thank you,’ you say</p><p>‘For what?’ They ask</p><p>‘For spending the last of your days with me, and for letting me spend the last of my days with you’. </p><p>They smile. ‘Anytime, darling’.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Songs that inspired this:<br/>Wasteland, Baby! - Hozier<br/>What A Heavenly Way To Die - Troye Sivan<br/>The World Retreats - David O’Dowda<br/>As The World Caves In - Matt Maltese<br/>Who Wants To Live Forever - Queen<br/>Apocalypse - Cigaretts After Sex<br/>Wait - M83</p></blockquote></div></div>
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